American Kitefliers Association Kite Event Organizers Manual Phil Broder The AKA Kite Event Organizers Manual by Phil Broder with input from Richard photos by Phil Broder, Dermer, David David and Susan Gomberg, Dave and Gomberg, Mike Gillard, Sherri Arnold, Mike Ed Zihlman Jr., Tom Gillard, Roger Chewning, McAlister, Jerry Houk, Eric and Genny Christopher Dodson, Forsberg, and other kite Bob Hogan, Markus festival organizers Karjalainen © 2001 by American Kitefliers Association P.O. Box 1614, Walla Walla WA 99362 (800)252-2550 Table Of Contents Introduction .......................................................................... page 4 Setting Goals ........................................................................ page 5 Choosing a Location ............................................................ page 5 Choosing a Date .................................................................. page 7 Finding Sponsors .................................................................. page 7 What Kind of Festival? ......................................................... page 9 Choosing Events ........................................................ page 9 Comprehensive Kitemaking ........................... page 10 Fighter Kites and Rokkakus .......................... page 10 Sport Kites ................................................... page 10 Noncompetitive Events ................................. page 11 Night Flying .................................................. page 12 No Wind Events ........................................... page 13 Event Staff ........................................................................... page 13 Event Organizer/Director .......................................... page 13 Operations Staff ....................................................... page 13 Safety Crew ............................................................. page 14 Registration .............................................................. page 14 Scorekeeping ........................................................... page 14 Announcer/Sound Technician .................................... page 14 Concessions ............................................................ page 15 Judges ..................................................................... page 15 Safety ................................................................................. page 15 Prizes and Awards .............................................................. page 16 Getting the Word Out ......................................................... page 17 During the Event ................................................................. page 18 Pleasing Your Audiences ...................................................... page 19 Selling, Making and Fixing Kites .......................................... page 20 When It’s Over .................................................................... page 21 Internet Resources ............................................................... page 22 Appendix A: Safety First! ..................................................... page 23 Appendix B: Sample Press Releases ..................................... page 25 Appendix C: Event Planning Schedule ................................... page 27 Appendix D: Kite Festival Supplies ....................................... page 28 Appendix E: Sample Event Schedule ..................................... page 29 Appendix F: Kitemaking Plans .............................................. page 32 Introduction festival, the ideas presented here will help steer you toward success. These ideas are based on my own Any kiteflier will tell you that once you strip away experiences attending hundreds of kite events and the competition, the technical details, the hours organizing National Kite Month, as well as the input spent over the sewing machine, and all the other of numerous other kiteflying veterans. Still, nothing extras, there’s only one reason why they fly kites: written here is gospel. The things that make the events FUN! It’s not brain surgery; it’s kiteflying. It’s people in Wildwood, New Jersey, and Long Beach, Wash- standing on a beach or in the middle of a field holding ington, such huge successes might fail miserably if you a string, looking up in wonderment. We don’t do it try to play it in Peoria. Adjust what you find here to fit because we get paid, or because it’s our job, or your own situation, based on your own experience. because we expect to become famous. We fly kites because it’s enjoyable, and we smile when we do it. Also, you should talk to kitefliers in your area. Contact the American Kitefliers Association to find As the organizer of a kite event, it’s your job to out who lives nearby. Their knowledge can add to share the fun. You’re about to embark on a process your plans, and chances are you can get them to help that will bring grins to a lot of faces. Unfortunately, you organize the event. Most kitefliers are happy to there will be times when this process takes the grin share their love of kites with other people and are just off your face. Just remember that in the end, it will all waiting for the opportunity. be worthwhile. So for a few minutes, put away your kite, roll up This manual is designed to give you a framework your string, and take shelter from the wind. You’re within which to build a kiteflying event. Whether about to become an event organizer…. you’re setting up a schoolyard fun fly or a huge 4 Setting Goals different measures of success. There have been several kite festivals that died out because even You’ll need to decide on a goal for your event. A kite though they were successful kiteflying events, they festival can’t be all things to all people, and if you try failed to accomplish a specific goal – like gaining a you’ll be guaranteed to upset one group or another. If certain amount of media attention, or raising a certain your only goal is to have fun, you won’t need to do a amount of money – that one of the organizers had. lot of organizing. On the other hand, if the goal is From the beginning, you’ll need to decide what competition you’ll have weeks of advance planning. yardstick you’ll be using to measure success. Here are some things to consider: Goal Things You Need Choosing a Location Have fun Safe flying area, PA system There are several factors to consider when deciding where to have a kite festival. The most obvious is that Make money (profit) Safe flying area, the site should be a large, open area, free from wind- something to sell blocking obstructions and safety hazards. Few non- kitefliers understand how much space is really neces- Make money (charity) Safe flying area, sary for kiting. A school athletic field may be large something to sell, and open, but if it’s surrounded by trees, bleachers, donations and buildings it will probably have turbulent wind. Competition Roped-off fields, PA system, awards. kids activities lots of spectators no stunt kites SPECTATORS good SPONSORS show SINGLE LINERS things to do publicity anchors space to fly economic impact competition CHAMBER no obstructions OF SPORT KITERS KITE BUGGIES COMMERCE out-of-town visitors It’s not impossible to meet more than one of these Likewise, valleys and depressions usually have poor goals; they’re not mutually exclusive. But make wind. Kite-eating trees, power lines, fences, and light certain you know where you’re trying to go, or you poles should also be avoided. Large athletic fields and may never get there. beaches are often the best choices. Often, the different people involved in running an Kitefliers talk about the “rule of seven.” When the event have different goals. Some may want to have a wind swirls over an obstacle like a tree, it takes a kiteflying event, while others may be looking at it as a distance seven times the height of the obstacle for the fundraising event with kites. It’s important to get wind to smooth back out. For instance, if there’s a everyone on the same page from the start. Again, 50 tree on the edge of the field, there will be a 350 differing goals are not mutually exclusive, but there are area of choppy air downwind of the tree. 5 Trees, buildings, and hills can cause turbulence that makes kiteflying difficult. Remember the “rule of seven”: if an obstacle is X high, you need to be downwind a distance of 7X for the wind to be smooth again. Some large, open areas that look perfect for kiteflying (like soccer fields) may be surrounded by bleachers, trees, or buildings that ruin the wind. Bear in mind that a regulation-size sport kite competi- tor. First, research shows that people tend to stay tion field must be at least 300x300, and that most near their cars. Second, no matter where you think competitions need not just one field but often two spectators will wind up, chances are you’ll be wrong. fields and a pit area. The AKA National Convention So, put the things the spectators will need the most – requires five of these fields to accommodate all the information and registration tables, bathrooms, various activities that happen simultaneously; there are concessions – closest to the parking lot. If you want few places in America that have the open space to try to draw people in from there, put something necessary to meet this need. spectacular – such as giant inflatable kites – farther away, forcing spectators to walk past other things to Organizers should also consider the location’s get there. proximity to other things in the community. Is your site easily accessible from a major road? Is it close But